


Troubled Waters

by Maeve_of_Winter



Series: Southside Showcase [2]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Class Differences, Gangs, M/M, Secret Relationship, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-20
Updated: 2018-06-20
Packaged: 2019-05-25 18:02:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14982590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maeve_of_Winter/pseuds/Maeve_of_Winter
Summary: Joaquin and Kevin are happy together. But with the continuing struggle of keeping their relationship a secret and the end of summer approaching, Joaquin isn't sure how much longer they can last.





	Troubled Waters

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to everyone reading! If you ever want to chat, here's my [Tumblr](http://maeve-of-winter.tumblr.com/). I love discussion and hearing people's thoughts, so feel free to submit ideas or just talk Riverdale.

Truth be told, Joaquin had never been much of one for nature. Grass, rocks, dirt, and trees were all fine, but he didn’t really care to spend much time among them.

Unfortunately for him, though, Kevin was all but a bonafide hippie when it came to the outdoors.

With an irritated scowl, Joaquin gave a sharp slap to the mosquito that had been buzzing around his ear and shoved a sweaty lock of hair out of his face, cursing the summer day’s oppressive humidity. Arranging a rendezvous with Kevin at Crystal Lake had sounded bitchin’ when they’d made plans, and Joaquin would have been lying if he said he wasn’t drawn to the mysteriousness of a secret meeting in the woods—it was kind of sexy, in his opinion, and made it seem like needing to hide their relationship wasn’t all that bad after all. 

But what Joaquin hadn’t realized that the trails leading to the lake had become so overgrown and unkempt, lined with brush and scattered with jagged, moss-covered rocks, that it was too dangerous for riding. When he’d seen the state of the trail, he’d been forced to leave his motorcycle and go forward on foot, mentally grousing all the while.

“I wouldn’t be doing this for anyone else,” Joaquin muttered out loud, right before his foot caught on a protruding tree root and he fell forward. With a groan, he picked himself up again, rubbing the knee that had taken the brunt of the impact and was now smarting. “Kevin, you really need to rethink your date ideas,” he growled, limping along.

He was elated when he finally emerged from the woods, stumbling down the steeply declining path to find himself at only a few dozen feet away from the edge of the lake. A picnic blanket and basket sat beneath the shade of the nearby trees, and already undressed and in the water was—

“There you are,” Kevin said, lounging against a large rock like a mermaid, moisture gleaming on his bare chest. “I was beginning to think you had forgotten all about me.”

Joaquin’s eyes travelled down Kevin’s exposed torso, lined with lean muscles, to his slim waist, which was barely covered by the water, the swells rippling tantalizingly just below his hip bones. He flicked his gaze back up to look at Kevin’s face and grinned. “Forget about you? Nah.”

Green eyes glinting mischievously, Kevin splashed some water his way. “Then don’t waste any time. Take off your clothes and get in here.”

“Impatient, are we?” Joaquin teased, cocking an eyebrow, but it was with relief that he slipped out of his work boots and peeled off his sweaty t-shirt and jeans, laying them out on the grass to dry in the sunlight when he swam. Then, without wasting another moment, he slid in the water, unable to hold back a gasp as his lower body submerged.

“Fuck, this is cold!” he exclaimed. While the water temperature was a welcome change from the day’s heat and sticky humidity, he couldn’t deny that it was a sudden shock for his body to adjust to the icy water.

Kevin laughed, water droplets dripping from his hair and sparkling in the sun as he did. “Come on, it’s not  _ that _ cold. The water at our high school’s pool is colder than this.”

Joaquin swam over to join Kevin. “Your high school has a pool?”

Kevin looked surprised. “Well, yeah. We need one for our swimming and diving team.”

“ ‘Diving team.’ ” Joaquin repeated in disbelief, shaking his head.  _ “Wow.”  _ He always forgot just how much more the Northsiders had than them—all clubs, sports, and activities had been cut from Southside High a few years ago to pay for increased security measures. 

“Hey, it’s not a bad thing. I was a member last year—it’s where I perfected my form,” Kevin joked.  

Pushing aside his thoughts on their divided town, Joaquin leaned into Kevin. “Well,” he whispered breathily into Kevin’s ear, earning a shiver from him, “I’ve always thought you had perfect form, but it wasn’t really your diving that I was thinking about.”

With that, he pulled Kevin into an embrace, wrapping his arm around his waist and pressing his lips against Kevin’s for a kiss, which Kevin returned after only a slight pause.

He adored the way Kevin kissed: always a little hesitant, not like he was resisting but like he was shy, before gradually becoming much more intense and passionate. It was as if he were holding back a little bit at first but then giving in to what he wanted, and Joaquin thought was just the hottest damn thing.

Pushing a knee gently but insistently between Kevin’s legs, he reveled in the warmth of Kevin’s body pressing against his bare form, a contrast to the frigid lake that was chilling his entire lower half. Dipping his free hand into the water, he scooped up a handful and poured it down Kevin’s spine, who shivered in delight as the cool moisture trickled down his sun-kissed back.

When they broke apart to catch their breath, Joaquin was about to lean in and start kissing Kevin again, but as his gaze caught Kevin’s, he was filled with sudden doubt.

These moments between himself and Kevin were nice and all—well, actually, more than nice; they were moments he craved, moments he treasured. 

But stealing kisses under the cover of forest and the cover of night could only last for so long. What’s more was that Joaquin didn’t even know how long Kevin wanted this—fling, romance, relationship, whatever Kevin considered it—to last. 

And how long could he want them to continue, when all Joaquin really was some hood who had spontaneously picked him up after a race one summer night? A someone who he couldn’t be seen in public with due to the disapproval of his friends and family?

They honestly were from different worlds, Joaquin knew. Kevin attended a school that had a goddamn diving team, while Joaquin went to a school, that despite being in the very same town, somehow didn’t have the budget to let the students use a single one of the printers, not even in the library. How much of a chance did Joaquin have with Kevin once the summer was over and school started back up again, reminding Kevin of all of the other options he had, the guys from Riverdale with whom he wouldn’t have to hide?

“Hey.” Kevin gave Joaquin the lightest kiss on the cheek. “You okay?”

At that moment, he could have chosen to voice his concerns to Kevin, to ask him what would happen to the two of them, but even in spite of the anxiety nibbling away at him, Joaquin didn’t want to ruin the moment.

So he merely smiled at Kevin to disguise any trepidation. “Yeah,” he said lightly, “just happy to be here with you.”

Kevin returned his smile. “Me, too.”

And as Kevin leaned into him, resting his head on his shoulder, Joaquin desperately wished he could bottle this moment, when Kevin was happy with him and caring toward him, because he had an awful feeling that it wouldn’t last.

**Author's Note:**

> What do you think? Will Kevin and Joaquin be able to make it? Let me know!
> 
> Thanks to everyone reading! If you ever want to chat, here's my [Tumblr](http://maeve-of-winter.tumblr.com/). I love discussion and hearing people's thoughts, so feel free to submit ideas or just talk Riverdale.


End file.
